


Five Nights at Freddy's: Obsolete

by Tenebrae_Vesper



Series: Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story [4]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Confronting & Accepting The Past, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27023017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenebrae_Vesper/pseuds/Tenebrae_Vesper
Summary: This was his final performance and he knew that he wouldn't return. Still, the glitch he had created remained, forcing William Afton, alias Springtrap, to confront what he had left behind. Even Sam is troubled by his return, aware that, beside her, there is another person who decided to carry on his murderous legacy…
Series: Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1404883
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	1. The Final Bow

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to my the fourth part of my series, Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story. I usually post updates every Thursday/Friday and if you want to know which story is going to be updated next, just check my profile.
> 
> I hope that you'll enjoy this story!

**Night 0**

**The Final Bow**

_''Sometimes it feels like I'm in a dream… Or, a nightmare. But I'm awake and, I'm doing things but, I'm not meaning to do them. And even though it's a nightmare, I feel happy inside.''_

_– **Purple** by MandoPony ft. NateWantsToBattle_

**xXxXxXx**

Some scars would never fade, some actions would never be forgiven. Even though he had regrets for what he had become, there was no salvation for him. He knew what awaited him when he made his choice and he had accepted his fate. Still, he had the strength to smile in the face of what's to come, aware that it was all what he had left. Even if his choice was selfless, even if he choose to become a better person, his past would always come to haunt him. He brought this fate upon himself, facing his worst nightmares.

_Nevertheless, I don't feel that I had wasted the chance I had been given. In the end, I left the mortal realm on my own terms._

The man stared at his surroundings, but all he saw was darkness. He wasn't at the office anymore, nor were there any signs that there was someone else here with him. He was alone, isolated from everyone he knew, and left at the mercy of his tormentor. There was nothing he could do about his situation.

_''You really are giving up now?''_

He tensed as he heard another, familiar voice. He had heard it before, whispering to him. Sometimes, it would question him about his desires. Other times, it would mock him for giving into weakness, wondering why he was accepting all this suffering without even attempting to fight back. He frowned, searching for the owner of the voice, but it seemed like it was coming from everywhere. Or rather, it felt as if the voice was inside his head.

_''One of your greatest qualities is your determination, so why would you allow yourself to be held back by this pathetic setback?''_

He frowned, stepping back. This most certainly wasn't just some kind of setback, as he was stuck in his personal Hell, tormented by the very soul that had once been his victim. He knew that there was no way for him to escape his place, even if he wanted to.

_''You always come back, don't you?''_

He kept silent, wishing that he could tell the entity that he wouldn't be returning this time. However, something prevented him from talking. All he could do was to listen to this voice and react to his suggestions. He felt like he was frozen in place, but eventually managed to force himself to shake his head.

 _Not this time_.

He was greeted by silence, with the entity not responding to his answer. He had to wonder whether it had decided to finally leave him alone. He turned around, observing the darkness and looking for anything familiar, anything that would lead him back to that cursed office. He had already accepted his fate and he felt that anything would be better than just standing here.

_''You haven't noticed it, have you? You are alone.''_

He rose an eyebrow, feeling that this kind of observation was redundant. He already knew that.

_''When was the last time you have heard that child laughing at you?''_

William Afton's eyes widened in surprise, realizing that the entity had a point. Even though he endured torture and suffering when he returned here, from being hunted down by his own creations to watching the person he cared about getting murdered over and over again, all of that had become more and more scarce. The office had slowly faded away and he found himself standing in this void.

_''No one can reach out for you because of how broken your soul is, not even your tormentor. Nevertheless, it can still be salvaged, as long as your desire is strong enough. It's time for one final performance.''_

William clenched his hands into fists, shaking. He could feel his surroundings growing colder as he thought about the offer. However, there was one thing on his mind, one burning question directed at the entity.

_Who are you?_

Once again, there was a moment of silence. Then, the entity answered, with William feeling chills flowing down his spine as he heard his own voice.

_''I am you.''_


	2. Thanks For The Memories

**Night 1**

**Thanks For The Memories**

_''And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on. But I know, all I know, is that the end's beginning. Who I am from the start, take me home to my heart. Let me go and I will run, I will not be silent. All this time spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain. All is lost, hope remains, and this war's not over. There's a light, there's the sun, taking all shattered ones to the place we belong, and his love will conquer all. Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding, fall into your sunlight…''_

_– **Shattered** by Trading Yesterday_

**xXxXxXx**

She woke up, panting and feeling as if she was being chased by someone. She looked around her room and quickly got up, having a strange feeling in her stomach. It was almost second in her nature to feel paranoid about certain things, especially after what had happened in the past months. She walked into the hallway and noticed that the door next to her room was open. She sighed and quickly ran downstairs and into the hallway that led to the front door.

The front door was wide open, with a brown-haired teenage girl dressed in a black long-sleeved and pants standing on the porch and looking at the small woods that were close to the house. The woman walked over to her. The teenager's dark brown eyes were open and glassy, and she had a blank look on her face, staring into the distance. It seemed as if she couldn't see the the woman who was standing right in front of her. The woman glanced at the teenager's right hand, which was slightly clutched, as if gripping the handle of some invisible tool.

The woman then gently took the teenager's arm, keeping a firm grip on it, and slowly led the teenager back into the house and up to her room. The moment the teenager entered her room, she relaxed and walked over to her bed, lying down. The woman pulled the blanked over her daughter and tucked her in, feeling rather tired, but glad that she didn't find her roaming around the yard.

She then closed the door and went downstairs in order to lock the front door, still wondering how her daughter managed to unlock it while sleepwalking, although she figured that people did even crazier things when in that state. As she walked back upstairs, she briefly stopped in front of the first room next to the stairs, the guest room, being a little hesitant about checking it.

 _The nightmare's over, isn't it?_ She then shook her head and walked back to her room. _You'd think that things would return to normal, but it seems that this isn't the case._

**xXx**

Samantha Blackburn, a 17-year-old teenager, felt like a truck had ran her over as she walked to school. She was completely exhausted, having been unable to sleep well the last night. Not to mention, her mother, Emma, had told her that she was sleepwalking again. This still wasn't a good enough excuse for her to skip school, though.

 _It's not as if I wanted to skip school,_ Sam thought bitterly. _I'll just fall asleep at class._

She rubbed the back of her head and yawned, shaking her head in order to keep herself awake. Frankly, she wasn't looking forward to drag herself from class to class and try to pretend she was conscious and interested enough so her teachers won't ask questions. Aside from the tiredness, she wasn't particularly bothered by the nightmares that plagued her, with those nightmares often involving her being hunted down by a shadow-like figure who wanted either to torture her or murder her, as she experienced much worse in real life. Nevertheless, she wouldn't have minded to be able to sleep without dreaming of anything, whether pleasant or nightmarish.

''This whole thing is just a pain in the-''

Before Sam could finish the sentence, her vision went dark as someone put their hands over her eyes.

''What are you up to?''

Sam managed to pry the hands off her eyes, turning around and giving a tall, dark-haired teenager an irritated look.

''Matt, I'm not in the mood for your antics.''

The teenager, Matthew Dearth, just smiled mischievously. Sam just sighed and walked away, with Matt following her with a rather cheerful look on his expression.

''Let me guess, you didn't sleep well tonight,'' he said. Sam yawned again.

''Yeah, I was sleepwalking, again,'' she replied. ''Mum got me when I was still on the porch. I guess it's a good thing I didn't walk into the woods behind our house.''

''Have you thought of visiting a doctor?'' Matt asked her.

''No, I had figured that I'd be able to handle it on my own,'' Sam told him as they walked up to the school building. She yawned again, scratching her head. ''It's not that bad.''

''I wouldn't be so sure about it,'' Matt replied. ''But, I guess you've been through much worse.''

''You have no idea,'' Sam told him. Matt gave her a knowing smile.

''Try me,'' he said, placing his hands in his pockets. ''Remember what I told you when we first met?''

''You were a complete creep,'' Sam replied, crossing her arms and rising an eyebrow. Matt scratched his cheek with his forefinger, smiling nervously.

''Well, I haven't met someone interesting like you,'' he said. ''Besides, I have a tendency to be quite straightforward when things get intriguing.''

''It was still creepy,'' Sam replied flatly.

''I'm sorry,'' Matt said sheepishly. The two then walked into the school building, with Sam suddenly stumbling as another girl pushed her, walking past her.

''Hey!'' she called out angrily. The girl who pushed her briefly turned around, glaring at her and then walked away.

''Are you okay?'' Matt asked her, with Sam nodding. He then glanced at the girl, who vanished from his vision. ''Tessa seems to really hate you.''

''Well, I warned her,'' Sam replied. ''Misery loves company and I had told myself I wouldn't be hanging out with toxic people anymore.''

''I can only agree,'' Matt replied. ''I hope I'm not the kind of toxic person you'd want to avoid.''

''No, you're just a creep,'' Sam replied, with both her and Matt chuckling.

It was rather unexpected and Sam considered it a chance meeting, but she was quite happy that she became friends with Matt. He was a new student at her school and when Sam first saw him sitting in the classroom, she felt that he didn't appear to be a social butterfly. It helped that he was surrounded by her former friends-turned-bullies, but refused to talk to them, looking rather annoyed whenever they asked him a question.

Things, however, took a different turn during lunch. Sam had found an empty table at the canteen, figuring that she'd better get used to being alone this year. She didn't mind it, as she heavily disliked the people who used to be her friends and knew that it would be better for her to just be on her own. However, her peace and quiet was interrupted soon by Matt, who had approached her while carrying his plate and backpack. Sam blinked, staring at him completely puzzled.

_''Um, hi?''_

_''Something tragic had happened in your life,''_ Matt told her bluntly, with Sam rising an eyebrow. _''Did someone die? A friend of yours, or maybe a family member?''_

 _''Huh?''_ Sam's mind was still processing what Matt had told her, only to freak out a moment later _. ''I-I have no idea what you're talking about.''_

 _''Really?''_ Matt asked. _''You appear to have a lot of agony and awful memories attached to yourself. Maybe there were multiple tragedies in your life.''_

 _''What kind of question is that?''_ Sam replied dryly. Matt put his plate and backpack down, sitting down across Sam.

 _''I just had a feeling,''_ he said. _''You won't mind if I join you, right?''_

 _''Well, I guess it's fine,''_ she said, albeit still feeling weirded out. _''Also, what exactly are you talking about?''_

 _''I was just searching for someone interesting to talk to,''_ Matt replied. _''My name is Matthew Dearth, but you can call me Matt, if you want.''_

 _''I'm Samantha Blackburn, and I'd prefer if you just called me Samantha rather than shorten my name,''_ Sam said, narrowing her eyes. _''You still didn't answer my question.''_

 _''What makes you say that?''_ Matt asked her.

 _''You approach me claiming how I experienced a tragedy in my life and then you say that you were just searching for someone interesting to talk to,''_ Sam replied. _''Either you're messing with me or you have some weird ideas.''_

 _''Let's just say that I have something of a knack for finding people who had some kind of misfortune happen in their life. The more devastating the event was, the stronger my sense gets,''_ Matt explained.

 _''Then, I'll have to disappoint you,''_ Sam replied in a nonchalant tone. _''The only so-called tragedy I had experienced was my parents getting divorced, but even that couldn't be described as a 'tragedy', since my parents get along well. Or do you also count being bullied by your former friends or disrespected by your co-workers?''_

 _''No, not really,''_ Matt replied, giving her a questioning look. _''Maybe I shouldn't have been so forward with my assumptions.''_

 _''You're right about that,''_ Sam told him.

 _''But, I was so convinced that you had something attached to yourself…''_ Matt muttered. Sam snorted.

 _''If it helps your case, I'm an urban explorer and I tend visit places that are abandoned or supposedly haunted,''_ she explained. _''Maybe that's why you thought I had experienced something tragic? Perhaps a spirit had attached itself to me?''_

 _''It is possible, but I still have my doubts…''_ Matt admitted, sighing. He then got up. _''I'm sorry for bothering you.''_

 _''You know, you don't have to leave,''_ Sam said, giving him an inviting smile. _''I already made peace with the fact that I'll be spending this year alone and then suddenly, there's someone who actually wants to talk to me. Even if you had weird assumptions about me, that doesn't mean that I want you to leave.''_

 _''Thanks,''_ Matt said, looking relieved, and sat back. _''I guess I should be less straightforward next time.''_

 _''Actually, I don't mind it, as long as people are being honest with me,''_ Sam said. _''Not to mention, I am kind of into weird stuff.''_

 _''Oh, really?''_ Matt's eyes widened with interest and he gave Sam a curious look. They spent the rest of the lunch in a deep conversation about their interests, almost missing their next class.

 _I told him that I'm fine with what people are telling me as long as they're being honest with me,_ Sam thought as she remembered their conversation. _I'm such a hypocrite, since I never told him the truth about myself and kept pretending everything was fine._ She sighed. _I thought I was done with that masquerade._

''Anyways, Sam, do you have any plans after school?'' Matt suddenly asked, startling Sam.

''Well, I have to go to work this afternoon,'' she said. ''If you want, you can come along, if you can handle screaming children and annoyed parents.''

''As long as they don't mistake me for your co-worker…'' Matt trailed off as Sam snorted.

''Honestly, I meet all kinds of people there,'' she said. ''Thank God I'm just a technician who mostly works in the back room. Yesterday, a woman who had that Karen haircut and sunglasses had demanded the manager because their server was supposedly rude to them. However, instead of getting a discount, Anthelm told her how she would get sued, because her kid damaged one of the arcade machines.''

''Seriously?'' Matt stared at her in surprise.

''Actually, he just jammed the machine; it was a quick fix,'' Sam explained. ''The entitled mother, however, quickly ran away once she heard there might be a lawsuit and left the kid behind. His father had to pick him up and he did not look happy.''

''Poor guy,'' Matt said, still amused.

''Yeah,'' Sam said, shaking her head. ''I'm more baffled that she forgot her kid, especially since he was wailing like crazy, so it's not like he wasn't noticeable. Besides, the notice had been posted on the website and put on the entrance that Fazbear Entertainment isn't liable for any missing or hurt children and that the child's well-being is the parents' responsibility.''

''I guess that they don't want to repeat the fiasco that happened at Ricky's Wonder Shack,'' Matt added.

''Well, it's not like they haven't been involved into a fiasco of their own,'' Sam muttered irritatedly.

''Ah, that…'' Matt smirked. ''Speaking of which, I might drop by today. Hell, maybe we could check on Ricky's while we're at it, since it's abandoned.''

''We could take a peek through the windows,'' Sam said, shrugging. She had figured that it would be better not to reveal that she actually still had the keys to the restaurant, having copied them several months ago. ''I wonder if anyone bought the building.''

''I don't think so,'' Matt replied. ''It doesn't appear that anyone wants to tear it down either.''

''Nobody tore down Freddy's, and we both know what had happened there,'' Sam said in a grim tone. ''They too just shut down the place and left it abandoned.''

''Yeah, but unlike Ricky's, they had managed to make a comeback and going by the latest news, they will be soon finished with their other project,'' Matt added. ''It's kind of surprising.''

''I don't know whether that's good news or bad news,'' Sam muttered. ''Knowing Fazbear Entertainment, as well as the kind of history Freddy's had, one should be afraid of what might happen next.''

''Yet, you insist on working there,'' Matt replied, grinning mischievously.

''Well, I'm still the only one qualified enough to work with the animatronics,'' Sam said, shrugging.

''Oh, really?'' Matt asked in a teasing tone. Sam nodded.

''Trust me, once I told Anthelm I would have to change my work schedule due to school, she told me she had thought of finding someone who would work the position full-time,'' Sam said nonchalantly. ''However, no one wants the job, for some reason.''

''I can only image why,'' Matt said. ''Those animatronics are kind of scary.''

''Actually, they're not that bad,'' Sam said. ''That is, as long as you aren't a creep or a threat to the children that are there.''

''Did they attempt to stuff someone in a suit?'' Matt asked curiously.

''Well, I found Puppet looming over some guy who was trying to calm down his kid who was crying about not getting what she wanted,'' Sam said in a nonchalant tone. ''Trust me, these animatronics _know_.''

''I guess I'm lucky they didn't go after me,'' Matt said jokingly.

''You have no idea…'' Sam sighed.

**xXx**

The rest of the school day was rather unmemorable and Sam was just happy that classes were over. After saying goodbye to Matt, she walked down the street to her house, feeling drained. If someone asked her, the summer holidays were too short and ended too soon. However, she had already figured that this was because of the events that happened during the summer holidays. Every day, something exciting happened and she was essentially taking things for granted. Despite her complaining, she wished that things turned out differently.

 _Nothing I can do about it now._ She sighed. _Mum was right – this should've happened much sooner. After all, I was just putting myself into danger. Being able to actually return to a normal life should be considered a blessing after that mess._

She felt rather irritable as she thought about the past summer, shaking her head and trying to forget about everything. _What happened, happened. I should just consider it a fever dream and should be thankful that I woke up from it. Seriously, what the hell was I even thinking?_

She had figured that her life would return to normal, as if nothing had happened, but it was clear that that wouldn't be the case. What she saw and what she learned left a strong impact on her and she knew that it was up to her to deal with her new, so-called ''legacy''.

Working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza was just one part of it and even though her mother suggested that she could just quit if she felt overwhelmed, Sam refused, having grown fond of her job, even if the animatronics would at times act weird around her. She had even worked on expanding her knowledge in robotics, aware that she still had to polish her skills as a technician, but she sincerely doubted that the Showtime Animatronics, as they were known, were acting that way because of a malfunction.

Another reason why it was difficult for her to return to any semblance of a normal life was her connection with the supernatural, thanks to a freak accident that left her near death. She managed to recover, but soon found out that she could see spirits of the deceased and even interact with them. Curiously, she hadn't seen any spirit for quite a while now and wasn't sure whether it was a good or a bad sign. She had actually thought that she might get a visit, but it soon dawned on her that it was better for everyone to let the spirits stay in the afterlife.

_That's the way it should be. Dead people should stay dead._

Sam took a deep breath as she finally reached her house. She got up on the porch and opened her backpack, searching for the key. She briefly glanced at the woods beside her house, as if expecting someone to suddenly walk out, but there wasn't anyone.

_Right, I haven't seen them in months._

She then unlocked the front door, opening it and locking it once she was inside the house. It was dead silent inside and Sam knew that her mother was still at work. She had been talking about taking another business trip, meaning Sam would be alone for a couple of days. Sam was actually fine with it, having been already used to being all by herself.

 _''You could call Matt over, if you want,''_ Emma had suggested.

Sam cracked a smile as she remembered that. Emma was actually overjoyed when Sam had introduced Matt to her. She had been telling Sam for a while that she needed to find a friend her age, a friend who was actually alive and not a murderer. While Matt met the former two requirements, Sam would joke that she wasn't sure about the third one. Even though Emma wasn't amused, Matt found her remark funny, noting how he was glad to have found a new friend so short after moving to Hurricane.

_You're not the only one._

Sam sighed as she walked up the stairs and into the hallway. She stopped at the first door, the one that led to the guest room and frowned, glaring at the door as if it personally offended her. She then walked over to the room next to it, her bedroom.

_I don't have to deal with this anymore._

She threw her backpack on the floor and lied down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was tired, but she simply couldn't fall asleep. Her head hurt and thoughts swirled in her mind, making her feel as if she was flipping through TV channels. She couldn't focus on anything and even trying to make up her mind felt like a chore. She knew that, even though she wasn't physically hurt, she still didn't mentally recover from what happened. She was once again faking that smile, acting as if everything was fine and there was nothing to be worried about.

The sole reason for that was because she didn't want to upset her mother, feeling that she already put Emma through enough unnecessary trouble. Not to mention, she felt that she also didn't have the right to complain about anything. She brought it upon herself, hoping for something that would never come true. She was being punished, simply because she trusted someone everyone claimed to be pure evil. She rolled over to her side.

_I'm an idiot… I should've seen this coming…_

She narrowed her eyes, glancing at the box she had left on her bookshelf. It was a VR headset and she thought that she could play a game, just to forget reality for a second. However, the only game she had for that was a game called _Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted_. She did play it a few times, but quickly grew annoyed by it, as it constantly reminded her of things she wanted to forget, of things she didn't care anymore.

 _It's just a waste of time,_ she thought in frustration. A moment later, she felt bad for thinking like that. After all, the console and the game were a gift from her father, which she was really happy about, especially since she got the game before the official release. Her father had told her that a co-worker of his gave him her copy of the game after he talked about Sam one too many times, wishing her luck in beating it and finding out about its secrets.

Sam, on the other hand, had figured that there weren't really any secrets in the game. After all, she was already told in the introduction part of the game what it's purpose was.

_''Welcome to the Freddy Fazbear Virtual Experience. Fazbear Entertainment is excited to join the digital age and what better way to do that than with an edge-of-your-seat virtual reality experience!''_

_''We know that Fazbear Entertainment has developed something of a bad reputation over the last few decades, and while it's true that some stories associated with our name were loosely based on actual events, the majority of them were total fabrications from the mind of a complete lunatic (lawsuits pending), but we aren't above laughing at ourselves, ha ha ha. That's why we have recreated many of these completely fictitious scenarios (lies) that you've been fed over the last several years into a hilarious VR games, in the hopes that we can finally move past these childish ghost stories and develop a new relationship with you, as well as your kids! (Don't forget the merch, perfect for birthdays.) So sit back and enjoy a few scares.''_

_''We do, however, ask that you agree to a simple waiver before you play. It's mostly just a legal mumbo-jumbo, and isn't at all based on user experiences thus far or injuries associated with testing. Just touch the button to agree and then we can jump right into some harmless fun that can't harm you at all in any harmful way. Thank you for playing the Freddy Fazbear Virtual Experience.''_

_''You acknowledge that Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for accidental digital consciousness transfer, real world manifestations of digital characters, nightmares, night terrors, night sweat-''_

_They're just trying to salvage their reputation and make some money off the game, nothing else,_ Sam thought bitterly. _What else should've I expected from Fazbear Entertainment?_ She closed her eyes. _Not to mention, the fact that they also have other projects planned out. At least I've found out what happened to the Machinations Factory._ She then lied down on her back, placing her hands behind her head. _Frankly, I can't tell who is worse, Fazbear Entertainment or Wolfrun Corporation. Hell, neither of them cared about the people and incidents that happened on their property until it was too late. But, unlike Fazbear Entertainment, it seems that Wolfrun Corporation had finally quit being part of this industry. They made the same mistakes as the former, but unlike them, it seems they knew when to give up._ She sighed. _Of course, who would've predicted that one of their employees would be so bloodthirsty?_

She closed her eyes again, feeling herself slowly drifting away into the darkness.

_What a nightmare… But, it's over, isn't it?_

**xXx**

''It's so quiet,'' Emma muttered under her breath as she entered the house, wondering whether Sam had returned home. According to the time, she would soon have to go to work. ''Sam?''

There was no response, causing Emma to walk upstairs and knock on the door to Sam's room.

''Sam?'' She opened the door, noticing Sam lying on her bed, seemingly asleep. Then, Sam opened her eyes, giving her mother an irritated look. ''Sweetheart, are you okay? Don't you have to go to work today?''

''Yeah, I do,'' Sam replied, getting up and grabbing her uniform, which consisted of black pants and dark purple polo T-shirts with a logo sewn on the left side of the chest. The logo was a black Freddy head inside a circle, with the name of the location _, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza_ , being written inside the circle. Her name tag was clipped on the belt. ''I'll be downstairs soon.''

''Okay,'' Emma replied, closing the door. She then leaned against it, taking a deep breath.

Ever since the accident from a few months ago, Sam's attitude had changed. She became withdrawn again, as well as irritable, refusing to talk about anything what happened during that summer. She noted that she didn't care anymore about it and that she couldn't live in the past, else something bad might happen. Emma had to wonder how she wasn't reminded of what happened since she was still working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, refusing to quit her job.

 _''It doesn't matter,''_ Sam had told her. _''This has nothing to do with that idiot.''_

 _''Sweetie, I know that this is hard for you…''_ Emma wanted to comfort her, but Sam quickly cut her off.

 _''You know, you should be happy that he's gone,''_ she said. _''That's what you wanted all along, right?''_

_''Of course, but…''_

_''Then, this discussion is over.''_

_I wouldn't be so sure about it,_ Emma thought, shaking her head. She glanced at the door that led to the guest room, walking over to it. Her hand was on the door knob, but she was reluctant to open it, even though she already knew that the room was completely empty. _It doesn't matter whether he's gone or not, he still managed to influence Sam significantly._

Emma hated to admit it, but she was at loss when it came to how she was supposed to handle this situation. It seemed at first as if Sam went back to her withdrawn self, but she would still go out and talk to people. She even made a new friend at school and she even looked happy when talking about Matt. Yet, Emma couldn't shake off the feeling that she was hiding something. Despite her smiling, Emma was aware that Sam was deeply hurt and that wound that had been inflicted on her wouldn't heal so easily.

 _Ignoring the issue isn't a solution either._ Emma feared that Sam's emotions would eventually reach their boiling point and spill over. Could a person really be able to hide their feelings for so long before they finally had enough? She was afraid for her daughter's mental health, but at the same time, she felt helpless. She didn't feel that there was anything she could to help her deal with this issue and instead remained quiet, respecting Sam's wishes and demands. _In the end, it's all_ his _fault._

Emma opened the door to the guest room and, just as she expected, found it completely empty and devoid of any sign that anyone had ever stayed there. _I wish it were just all a bad dream, but I can't deny that it was all very real._

She stared at the room in silence as she thought about the past months. It still baffled her that Sam went from defending her former friend to refusing to even acknowledge his existence or even call him by his name. Emma had told her that, if there was anything Sam wanted to talk about, she could tell her, but Sam noted that there wasn't anything worth a discussion and that she wanted to move on with her life.

However, it was painfully clear that, under all that, no matter how much she acted as if it didn't affect her, Sam was completely heartbroken, her heart shattered beyond repair.

_In the end, what you feared the most has happened, Afton. You hurt Sam, despite promising that you would keep her safe. Even if you didn't physically harm her, you did emotionally scar her. It seems like you just can't interact with people without making someone your next victim._

Truth to be told, Emma secretly wanted to celebrate the fact that Afton had finally left, but after what Sam had told her about what had happened, she knew that she couldn't. Seeing her daughter being so hurt made her angry and frustrated, but she knew that nothing could be done. This was how things were supposed to be and there was never a guarantee that this story would have a happy ending. This was the best they got.

''You know that he's gone.'' Emma suddenly turned around and saw Sam glaring at her, her arms folded on her chest. ''He's not coming back, ever.''

''Sam-'' Emma wanted to speak up, but Sam cut her off.

''I don't want him to return,'' she said in an icy tone. ''For all I care, he just should stay in Hell, where he belongs.''

She then turned around, walking downstairs. Emma just stared at her, speechless. If it were several months ago, she would've been happy to hear this kind of opinion coming from Sam. However, she knew that this didn't reflect her daughter's true feelings. Emma wanted to agree with her, but she knew that she would be lying to herself if she claimed that Sam had finally realized that Afton was a bad influence for her, that he was someone she never should've met – someone she should hate regardless of what happened.

Emma sincerely hated seeing her like this, so bitter, frustrated and depressed and she wished that she could help her. However, it was obvious that Sam didn't care anymore nor that she wanted help. Even though she didn't want to get herself trapped in the past, she couldn't move on from her memories and emotions associated with them.

_The one person who cared about you the most is the one who hates you more than anyone else._


	3. Darkest Desire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! For the next update, keep an eye on the profile and please, leave a comment. I'm always happy to read and even answer them if necessary.

**Night 2**

**Darkest Desire**

_''This reality, my mentality, everything changes so rapidly, and I'm ready for the never-ending fire, dancing with my deepest dark desires. Miracle, how empirical, don't know anything quite hysterical, everything around me transpires as I fulfill my darkest desire.''_

_– **Darkest Desire** by Dawko & DHeusta_

**xXxXxXx**

''Hey, Blackburn, I need help with the arcade. One of them won't work. It just keeps refusing-''

''Unfortunately, I cannot help you with that. You'll need to ask Jackson to fix it,'' Sam replied to her co-worker, who gave her a dubious look.

''Why can't you do that?'' the co-worker, an adolescent girl older than Sam who had been hired recently to maintain the area with the arcades, asked. ''You're the technician.''

''Only for the animatronics,'' Sam replied, briefly glancing down at the box she had been holding. There was a minor accident where Showtime Foxy's eyes suddenly stopped working and Sam had to bring him to the back room in order to fix him. Unfortunately, whoever brought the replacement eyes left them at the manager's office, forcing Sam to search for them and wasting her time, since Foxy was supposed to be back at the stage as soon as possible.

Not only that, but she also had to deal with a co-worker who seemed to have issues grasping the fact that there were two different types of technicians in this establishment. Considering how the girl was new, Sam figured it was a mistake, but after working here for three weeks, her co-worker should've known better. Not to mention the fact that, when her co-worker started out, she just pushed a mop into Sam's hands and told her to clean up, despite the fact that Sam was on her way to do her own task. Then she had the guts to bring up how she was more experienced than Sam and wouldn't believe that Sam was her senior despite being younger.

She quickly changed the tune when Sam greeted the manager, who appeared to have overheard the two and sent the newbie away to do her job properly. Sam kept her cool, but the moment she got to the back room, she burst out laughing.

 _Screw you, Janet._ Sam took a deep breath and just ignored her co-worker. She was already running late and there was a batch of kids who wanted to see a fully functioning Showtime Foxy. She walked past her briskly, hearing the latter mumbling angrily, and went to the back room, where Showtime Foxy was waiting for her.

Foxy the Pirate Fox was wearing brown pants and a blue frock coat with golden accents. He was also wearing a white fencing shirt with a black belt-like strap over his chest. On his head was a black pirate hat that had a marking resembling a red fox skull in front of two blue cutlasses that were crossed. His hand, as usual, had been replaced with a hook and he also had a black eye patch.

Sam set the box on the nearby table and turned to Foxy, taking both of his broken eyes out of the eye-sockets and replacing them with new ones. Once she was done, Foxy's eyes started to glow and he looked down at Sam curiously.

''You can go back to your stage,'' Sam told him as she put away the broken eyes. ''There is a group of children already waiting for their storyteller.''

''You could do with a smile as well, lassie,'' Foxy replied, flipping the eye-patch over his eye and walking over to the door. ''You've been quite grumpy lately.''

Sam didn't respond, simply listening to the animatronic leaving. Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and Puppet had been acting weirdly ever since she met them, but this was something different. During the nights she had been left alone with them, she expected them to attempt to hunt her down, only to remember that they weren't the animatronics from the past locations and that they weren't haunted by anyone, be it child or adult.

As a matter of fact, they acted quite cordial towards her, never really talking with her about something that wasn't part of their role at Freddy's, but always showing the kind of high artificial intelligence they weren't supposed to have, causing Sam to wonder whether they were haunted or not. The issue was, she would've known if they were haunted since she was able to see and communicate with the spirits of the deceased, or at least sense their presence, thanks to an accident that almost led to her own death.

Frankly, the past months felt like a complete nightmare and she was just glad that she could wake up from it. At this point, she wanted to just forget everything and act like the past summer had never happened. However, she couldn't deny that there were a lot of things she had learned and that her newfound knowledge and appreciation for life was something she cherished.

_You have to move on, you cannot live in the past. If you do, it will kill you, physically and emotionally._

She sighed, placing the box on the nearby shelf and checking the time on her smartphone. Her break was about to start and she figured she would go to the kitchen and order a pizza for herself using her employee discount. She also planned to bring it back home, despite her mother's objections. While Emma didn't have anything against eating pizza, she did worry about Sam eating too much of it, calling it unhealthy. Sam just shrugged it off, admitting that she mostly ate pizza as comfort food, but nevertheless decided to listen to Emma just to keep her happy.

 _To be honest, lately all I've been doing is to try to keep Mum happy, even if my attitude isn't exactly the best,_ Sam thought as she walked into the main area, only to perk up when she noticed a familiar figure sitting at a table. Once Matt noticed her, he smiled and waved her over. Sam smiled weakly, being glad to see him, but not exactly in the mood to talk to anyone.

''May I order?'' Matt asked her teasingly, with Sam rolling her eyes.

''I'm on a break, so no,'' she replied in a deadpan tone. Matt snorted.

''Anyways, are we still going to Ricky's tonight?'' he asked.

''I guess we could,'' Sam said, shrugging. ''I didn't have any other plans for tonight.''

''Great,'' Matt replied, grinning.

''However, I don't think there's much to see there,'' Sam added as she sat down across Matt. ''The location had been abandoned for months and even if we find a way inside, I don't think they kept the animatronics.''

''Do you really think so?'' Matt asked, rising an eyebrow.

''Well, why should they?'' Sam replied, feeling a little tense. She couldn't exactly tell Matt that Ricky and the Misfits had been burned down to ashes. ''I mean, the animatronics malfunctioned and murdered several people. Why Wolfrun Corporation keep them?''

''Going back to your theory, they either malfunctioned or were programmed to murder,'' Matt said in a dry tone, his grin dropping. ''I'm pretty sure it's the latter.''

 _You have no idea._ Sam was glad that Matt couldn't read her mind.

''Still, I guess it's nothing compared to Freddy's,'' Matt continued, looking around. ''I'm surprised people are still coming here, but on the other hand, what had happened was over 30 years ago. People tend to forget, don't they? Or rather, they want to forget and ignore what had happened.''

''I admit, I am one of those people,'' Sam told him, with Matt giving her a sympathetic look. ''Instead of valuable lessons from my experience, all I'm getting now is a headache.''

''I'm sorry about that,'' Matt replied. Sam shook her head.

''It's fine,'' she said. ''Sometimes, I feel as if I'm just overreacting.''

''If your gut feeling is telling you that something's wrong, then you aren't overreacting, but just trying to survive in a dangerous situation that is out of your control,'' Matt told her. ''As for the headache, how about a tablet?''

Sam snorted. ''I'm not that desperate.''

Despite being in a rather bad mood, she actually felt a little better while talking to Matt. No matter how morbid the topic would be, he would be quite casual and nonchalant during the conversation, making her feel comfortable. She didn't need any drama and was happy to act like a conspiracy theorist. Still, she knew that this way of handling the situation wouldn't help her in the long game.

''Despite that, I still feel like a mess,'' Sam admitted.

''Then embrace it,'' Matt told her, causing Sam to rise an eyebrow. ''I think your subconscious is telling you something, but you just have trouble interpreting or accepting it.''

''…'' Sam just stared at him, thinking about it. ''You really think so?''

''Yeah,'' Matt replied, nodding. ''You should focus on your own desires.''

''I don't think this would be the best idea…'' Sam muttered, with Matt interrupting her.

''Think about it this way – you have the money for an ice-cream and you know that you will enjoy it. You know that you will feel better if you buy it,'' Matt explained, his tone getting more and more dramatic. ''However, at the same time, you are questioning yourself whether that would be a good idea: 'What if I hate the flavour? What if it makes me obsessed with eating only ice-cream? What if I get a brain freeze?'''

''Okay, I get it,'' Sam chuckled.

''Now, where was I… Ah, yes,'' Matt said, snapping his fingers. ''In short, you should spoil yourself and buy some ice-cream.''

''I thought that ice-cream was a metaphor for me dealing with whatever my subconsciousness desires,'' Sam said, a small smirk on her lips.

''Yeah, that too,'' Matt replied sheepishly, then added in a sympathetic tone, ''You know what is bothering you and there is a good chance that things will work out once you confront your issues. You can continue ignoring it, if you want, but knowing you, you're not the kind of person who would do that, especially if it's something intriguing.''

''You're right about that,'' Sam said, adding in a sarcastic tone, ''After all, I'm friends with you.''

''Is that supposed to be a compliment? If so, thanks,'' Matt told her in a chipper tone. Sam fell silent for a few moments, checking her smartphone for the time.

''You know,'' she said suddenly, ''there are things I'm curious about, but I feel that I shouldn't be, that I have no right to investigate and that I should move on from the mystery.''

''So, that's what's bothering you,'' Matt said, with Sam nodding. He sighed. ''Sam, you are aware that we are both fans of investigating stuff we probably shouldn't? Why stop now?''

''It's partially due to things I don't want to go into,'' Sam replied, lowering her head.

''It's because of the trauma you had experienced, right?'' Matt asked, causing Sam to look up at him. ''You know that I can sense it. The more you despair, the stronger it gets. The memories you have will haunt you forever even if you attempt to forget them. They're attached to you, remnants of your past.''

''You're right,'' Sam muttered. ''However, I'm still not sure about this. I've been stubbornly refusing to focus on this due to my issues, but it isn't really anything bad. Hell, I don't really think I have the right to call it traumatic in comparison to what other people went through.''

''That is your own belief,'' Matt told her. ''You're the one who gets to decide what you'll do.'' His eyes then narrowed and he grinned. ''Besides, I've seen you plenty of times making decisions with serious consequences and you're usually stubborn enough to stay by your decision, no matter how bad it is.''

''Yeah, it's kind of a habit,'' Sam replied, sighing. ''You know, I'll think about it.''

''You will?'' Matt gave her a surprised look. He didn't expect her to change her mind so soon.

''Frankly, what I want is to get some answers and satisfy my curiosity. However, my curiosity was also what caused me so much pain,'' Sam replied. ''As I said, I will give it a thought, but don't expect anything.''

''Okay,'' Matt said, giving her an encouraging smile. ''Now, about my order…''

''Matt!'' Sam glared at Matt who was laughing heartily.

**xXx**

Once Sam's shift was over, she and Matt made their way over to the building that used to be known as Ricky's Wonder Shack. The old neon sign was still there, albeit chipped and having no power to illuminate it. Several windows had shutters pulled down, but some didn't, allowing Sam and Matt to peek into the place. Sam still hadn't told her partner-in-crime that she had the key to the building, not really wanting to be reminded of how she got herself into this mess in the first place.

Nevertheless, this was her hobby. Investigating mysteries and getting herself into trouble was something she was used to and she loved exploring. It was quite dull trying to avoid it and, if she had to be honest with herself, she missed it.

_I still have another mystery to solve and it is waiting for me back at home._

Sam glanced at Matt, who had found a cracked window and was contemplating whether to break it completely or leave it.

''I'm surprised no one graffitied the place,'' Sam said. ''I remember people being quite freaked out after what had happened.''

''Well, it is giving off a bad vibe, but so did some of the other places we had visited,'' Matt told her. ''I have some mixed feelings about this place and while I can sense a great tragedy occurring here, it kind of feels wrong, if not completely empty. It's like staring at a husk.''

''If this is what you sense while being at Ricky's, then I'm curious about what you'll feel if you were at an old Freddy's location,'' Sam replied. ''I mean, the Fazbear's Fright is still around, albeit burned to ashes.''

''You know, you could've told me about it earlier,'' Matt replied.

''To be honest, I've been trying not to think about it,'' Sam said. ''It still surprises me that I had managed to run into another hardcore FNaF fan, someone who actually is trying to solve the lore.''

''You're not the only one,'' Matt told her, grinning. ''Still, there isn't much to add to it. I mean, the main point is that the former owner of Freddy's decided to murder a bunch of children, got himself trapped into a suit and turned into a hybrid zombie. There's also some family drama, with the former partner of the murderer burning everything down, with the murdered ending up in Hell. That's all there is to it.''

''Right, but you forgot about Fazbear Entertainment making a comeback,'' Sam said, thinking about the VR game she had back home. Matt tilted his head, quietly observing Sam.

Whenever they would start talking about the _Five Nigths at Freddy's_ lore, even though Sam's attitude didn't change, Matt could sense her instantly shutting down and moving the conversation to another topic. While she would be able to talk about it, she wasn't comfortable about the lore and whatever was attached to her would just grow stronger whenever the murderer had been mentioned. Interestingly, Sam kept calling him either The Murderer or Purple Guy, despite the fact that they knew his real name – William Afton.

Matt was aware that Sam may have had some bad experience with Freddy's history, but he was curious about just how bad it was. Nevertheless, he decided not to bother her about it. After all, he never told her about his own dark secrets, so why should she tell him about hers?

Still, it seemed that this time, their conversation had caused some kind of change in her. Perhaps, he was wrong and she was already going through this change, only for their conversation to add to it. Whatever was going on, it seemed that she was going to fight back whatever was holding her down.

''Didn't Fazbear Entertainment release that VR game a while ago – _Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted_ ,'' Matt added. Sam nodded, with Matt deciding to try his luck. ''Have you played it?''

''A little, but I was busy with other stuff so I left it,'' Sam admitted. ''I had thought about actually playing through it.''

''If you do, could you tell me if you find something?'' Matt asked, with Sam giving him a surprised look.

''I thought you already had the game,'' she said, puzzled.

''Actually, I don't, since I don't have an access to a VR console,'' Matt replied. ''My parents never really payed any attention to me and had only recently realized that they actually have a son. I don't blame them, though, they have been put through a lot during the past months.''

''I'm sorry about that,'' Sam said, feeling bad for Matt. ''But, speaking of the game, aren't there any playthrough videos on YouTube?''

''I'm actually more interested in the lore rather than in the game itself and I had hoped that you'd take notes,'' Matt admitted sheepishly.

''Trust me, I will,'' Sam replied, sighing. ''I only need to convince myself to play the game and see what Fazbear Entertainment has to offer us.''

''Probably more lies,'' Matt said nonchalantly, causing Sam to snort.

''Right,'' she said. ''In any case, I will try to get as many details as possible, but I'm not really expecting anything sinister. From what I had played, they're acting as if the lore was just a made-up story, with some basis on real-life events, but greatly overblown.''

''I see,'' Matt replied. ''Also, good luck dealing with your issues. It's gonna be a struggle.''

''Yeah, it will…'' Sam muttered, feeling a little downcast. She then looked up at Matt, smiling bitterly. ''You know well how stubborn I can be.''

''I don't know whether I should regret knowing that or not,'' Matt muttered in a teasing tone, with Sam just shaking her head.

''Let's just go,'' she said, turning her back to Ricky's Wonder Shack. ''We won't find anything at this place.''

Matt just glanced at Ricky's and joined Sam, who decided to walk back home, as it was already late evening and she was quite tired. Matt's house was in another part of Hurricane, but he still could accompany Sam to some extent.

''You know, you could come to my place and we could play the game together,'' Sam told Matt, who shook his head.

''It's fine,'' he said. ''I think that playing the game is something you should do alone. We could replay it together.''

''Okay,'' Sam replied, shrugging.

She hated to admit it, but Matt was right – she had to go through this alone.

**xXx**

Back at home, Sam was on her laptop, staring at the icon that was the game _Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted_. Frankly, she still had second thoughts about playing it. She knew that it was a bit ridiculous for her to hold something resembling a grudge against a video game. It just felt weird, but she was aware that this wasn't just a video game – this was a significant part of her life; a part she hated to acknowledge.

_Still, if I want some peace of mind, I will have to confront this issue._

She took a deep breath and closed the lid of her laptop. Even if she was going to play it, it wouldn't be tonight. She was too tired and she had school tomorrow, figuring that she could play the game once she had some free time. She was curious, after all, desiring to learn what exactly she got herself into.

Then, there was the fact that she also had access to two versions of the game. One version was the game she had bought once it was released, but the other version, the one she had played, was given to her by her father. He had told her that it was a copy given to him by the beta tester and, while he was surprised that she gave it to him, he admitted that he mentioned Sam several times in her presence and how interested she was in the Fazbear lore and would probably take the game apart just to get more information.

Sam noted that it was quite weird that the beta tester would just give him her copy of the game and, while a bit sour considering how much the game reminded her of the past months, she didn't complain when she got it. She played a bit, but soon abandoned it, feeling quite bitter and distressed. She lost interest, but now her interest had been reignited and, aside from the lore, she was also curious about how different the beta version was from the official game.

She leaned back against the chair, remembering how she used to research the lore like crazy. She loved anything related to Freddy's, wanting to know as much possible. However, after what happened, she wanted nothing to do with Freddy's past. She was fine when it came to her work as a technician, but she ignored anything that happened over 30 years ago, including the most recent events.

Not to mention, she had to wonder what exactly this game's lore could add to what she already knew. After all, she was told by the person who committed those crimes what exactly had happened and even ran into several of his victims. She knew that all of them would want her to forget and move one, regretting that she was ever part of this. She too started to regret it.

Nevertheless, she couldn't deny that the experience was valuable… to some extent. Sure, she could do without the emotional and physical trauma, but she did feel that she had grown as a person. After all, these events were the reason why she managed to even stand up to her bullies and confront them. She felt more independent, learning to rely on her own strengths and developing an iron will.

Still, despite her stubbornness and desire to move past the pain, she was still vulnerable. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to be angry… Yet, all she felt was complete emptiness.

_Even feeling agony is still better than feeling nothing._

She frowned, the memories of that cursed night playing in her mind. She could still feel the warmth of the fire, the smell of the smoke and the despair as her heart shattered in a million pieces, losing the person she cared about.

Sam shook her head, driving that memory out of her mind and sighed. She glanced at the shelf above the desk and took the walkie-talkie that was on it. She stared at it for a few minutes, before turning it on.

''Tomorrow is another day,'' she spoke into it.

_''Tomorrow is another day.''_

Sam glanced at her bed where the Fredbear plushie was lying, having spoken in her voice. She knew that it had another walkie-talkie inside it, having been used as a tool for manipulation. It once belonged to a little boy who died a long time ago, but now it was her toy.

_''Sam, you're incredible.''_

Sam cracked a mischievous smile. She had to admit, talking to herself this way might be seen as a sign that she was crazy, but it was nice to pretend that someone was praising her for no reason.

_''I will always be with you and so will my friends.''_

Frankly, even if it was weird, she liked to comfort herself this way.

_''I will never abandon you.''_

Sam fell silent for a moment and then turned the walkie-talkie off. She knew that she had emotional scars and no matter what she told herself, they won't fade away. She would always feel resentful and bitter, but she had to get up and move on.

After all, unlike everyone else, she was still alive.

**xXx**

_''Hello. Can you hear me?''_

''Unfortunately, I can,'' William Afton grumbled bitterly, attempting to ignore the entity. If he was already trapped in this void, then he wanted to be alone. However, this was impossible for reasons he still had trouble understanding.

_''I am you.''_

These words echoed in his head and he was still shocked, trying to figure out what this meant. Why was this entity talking to him in his voice and claiming that it was him? He thought at first that he was going crazy, but then realized that him hearing voices in his head shouldn't really surprise him. He had dealt with much wierder stuff.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm down and figure out how exactly he got himself into this situation, but all he could remember was that, at one point, everything was there and in the next moment, everything was gone. Frankly, he was glad that he didn't have to deal with that kid anymore, but he would've been grateful if someone explained to him what exactly was going on here. He was still in his personal Hell, right?

_''No, you're not.''_

William rose an eyebrow as he heard the entity again. It was just a whisper, but the entity sounded rather matter-of-fact. Frankly, he wanted to avoid talking to this entity, but he then realized that this wouldn't be possible and that, if the entity knew what was going on, he should at least question it about this place.

''What happened?'' he asked.

 _''You're broken, but I know how to fix you,''_ the entity replied. _''Your soul is torn, but if you allow me to stay, I could mend it, so you would never feel this pain again.''_

''How do I know that I can trust you?'' William asked.

 _''Do you really believe that you can't trust yourself?''_ the entity asked him. William frowned, having to admit that the entity had a point. However, he still had no idea how this being was actually himself. Did his soul split apart or something? Even though he couldn't see it, he could imagine the entity grinning as it added, _''You could say that something like that had happened.''_

''It still doesn't make any sense,'' William said.

 _''Everything you did doesn't make sense, but you accepted it nevertheless,''_ the entity replied sarcastically. William had to admit that the entity had a point. _''Now, you can stay and suffer, or we can leave once again.''_

William's eyes narrowed as he stared at he void in silence. He still didn't understand how he managed to get out of this place last time, but he figured this entity had something to do with it. However, that wasn't possible, as this entity was him, or at least a part of him.

'' _'An entity a mere soul cannot comprehend'_ ,'' he repeated the words he had heard a long time ago.

He stood there in silence, thinking about what had happened, trying to comprehend the situation this time. If his assumptions were correct, then he never had any help in leaving this forsaken place. He was able to leave on his own, simply because he wanted to leave. As his other self had told him, his determination was his greatest quality.

_''It seems that you understand now.''_

William found himself nodding absent-mindedly. While his assumptions may have been correct, there was still a missing piece to this puzzle, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't find it here. If he wanted to know more, he would have to return back to the realm of the living. However…

''Why should I do that?'' he said. ''I promised to myself that I wouldn't return.''

 _''That is the issue, isn't it?''_ the entity said in a teasing tone. _''You're being given chance after chance, but every time you come back, things go wrong. Are you afraid that you will waste this one as well?''_

William fell silent, having to admit that his other self was right – a part of him was afraid that he would just cause another disaster. After all, it seemed that this was everything he was capable of doing.

 _''You wouldn't be by yourself this time,''_ the entity continued. _''One day, I'd like to be invited outside of this domain.''_

William stared at the darkness, noticing a strange purple glow taking a shape. However, he couldn't make out what it was, as it seemed to be glitching in and out of existence.

 _''This reality, my mentality, everything changes so rapidly,''_ the entity said in a sing-song voice. _''Everything's coming together, now, erupting in terror and corrupting whoever won't confront this growing fear. To confide to myself, the consequences were derided once I decided to come back.''_ The entity laughed mirthfully. _''Look at me, you can't ignore the fact that I'm feeling so incomplete, so don't even try to retreat. You may say that you don't have any regrets, but you know that you don't want to be here, alone and forsaken. I know I can leave, I know what I want. We know what we need. Our nature is incomprehensible, transpiring beyond any laws set, so why shouldn't I allow myself to return once again? I deserve it!''_

Even though there was a part of him that still protested, William knew that he was right. He worked too hard to give up now. He wanted to return, no matter the cost. What had happened couldn't be changed, but he knew that there was still something he needed to complete. He had the knowledge and the ability to return. Only he was able to give his soul a new body, one that matched who he really was. He could give way to a new reality, one he could control. He suffered long enough, didn't he?

''I always come back…'' he whispered, feeling the tears inside him, pulsing through his soul. This agony he felt, it was what gave him strength. No matter how broken his mind he was, he had no doubt anymore. He was incomplete, but he would regain what he had lost. ''The reason I want to leave…''

He stared at the darkness, at the figure shaped like a humanoid bunny, its eyes glowing purple, the same colour as William's, and smiling in delight.

_''So we can fulfill our darkest desire.''_


	4. We're Not Monsters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, even if it's only for one chapter.
> 
> No, seriously, the FNaF updates will be scarce until the release of Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach, as Security Breach is supposed to be featured in this story. I had hoped that the game would've been released at this point, but unfortunately, we had a few posts telling us that it would be delayed until further notice. I'm sure that the game will be awesome, going by the trailers, but it will take a bit more time for it to be fully developed.
> 
> The same goes for this story. While one half of the story revolves around Help Wanted, the other half was supposed to be about Security Breach, but in order to set up those chapters, I still need to know what will happen in Security Breach. While I do have some information, it's still not enough, meaning that this story won't have regularly scheduled updates like I did with my past stories.
> 
> Nevertheless, if you want to know what the next update will be, you can always check my Profile. On the top is a message that states: ''Next Update: Name Of Story, Chapter X, Chapter Title''. Updates are every Thursday/Friday and if you guys are interested in a Digimon story or a story based on the Miraculous Ladybug PV Trailer, you can also check ''Digimon Tamers: Cyber Battles'' and ''Up Ladybug''.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

**Night 3**

**We're Not Monsters**

_''We promise we're not monsters, we're not monsters; Hope we're not monsters to you. You will be just fine and you won't die. The lies that we told you weren't true. We promise we're not monsters, we're not monsters; Hope we're not monsters to you. You will be just fine and you won't die. The lies that we told you weren't true.''_

_– **Monsters** by Kyle Allen Music ft. Tohru, JT Machinima & Swiblet_

**xXxXxXx**

It was cold, rain washing over her, the droplets trickling down her head, her arms, dropping from her fingers and soaking the ground. She was barefoot, wearing only a black T-shirt and grey shorts. As she looked around, she realized that she was in a forest, completely confused and lost.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her hand, noticing a vine covered in thorns digging into it, dragging her down. Blood and rain mixed as the sharp thorns dug into her skin, slicing it. Sam struggled, trying to pry off the thorns, but the more she fought back, the tighter the vines became.

She tried to step back, but more vines sprung from the ground, wrapping around her legs. She cried in pain, watching the blood and rain mix and trickle down her body. She kicked and pulled, waves of pain washing over her. She couldn't move at all, she couldn't escape the agony.

''Let go!'' she yelled in frustration.

She could hear a thunder above her, her skin crawling in dread. Looking at the grass, she saw that it was turning red. She looked up, her eyes widening when she realized that it was raining blood. The black clouds turned to an orange-red colour, swirling above her.

_What is going on?!_

She panicked, crying out when another vine wrapped around her other hand, the thorns tearing into her flesh. She gritted her teeth, realizing that, whatever was going on, this was not her reality. She knew that she needed to escape, but she had no idea how to do that.

Suddenly, the vines pulled her down, causing to Sam fall on the ground. She was on her knees, feeling as if the vines attempted to pull her directly into the ground, into her grave. She tried to push herself off, but she slipped on the blood and raindrops, falling over.

One more vine shot out of the ground, wrapping around her neck. Sam gasped for air, but tasted only blood. She could see pieces of her own flesh being torn away by the thorns. She wanted to cry, to scream, but her voice was gone.

Tears trickled down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, finally succumbing to the darkness.

**xXx**

Sam's eyes opened widely and she sat up, gasping for air. Her whole body was in pain and she felt as if she had been hit by a truck. However, the pain that pulsed through her body subsided, being replaced by a feeling of wetness in her right hand. Panicking, she looked down at her hand, shocked to see a narrow and deep cut in her palm, blood dripping down her fingers.

She cried in surprise and jumped off her bed, her blanket having fallen on the floor, kicked down by Sam during her nightmare. Sam held her hand up, trying to prevent the blood from flowing down on her bed and on the floor, searching for something that would stop the bleeding. Stumbling, she ran out of her room and went to the bathroom, grabbing a towel and pressing it against her wound.

Then, as quietly as possible, she returned back to her room, praying that her mother didn't hear her. She closed the door behind her and leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths and gritting her teeth as she removed the towel and looked at the wound. There was still blood, but it didn't seem to be as bad as before. However, Sam couldn't understand how she managed to cut herself.

Her heart was still racing as she tried to calm herself down and gather her thoughts. She walked over to the desk, picking her smartphone up and checking the time.

_3:35 AM – the witching hour, or the Devil's hour, as they call it._

Sam felt chills flowing down her spine and shook her head, taking a deep breath. She had enough experience with the supernatural to understand that this situation was bad and that she needed to find a logical explanation for what happened to her, as well as a solution.

She reached for the drawer and pulled it out, taking the first aid kit that she kept in it. After she had made her decision to keep working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, she got herself her personal first aid kit, aware that, sooner or later, she might suffer from an unfortunate injury. Despite all the safety precautions, she knew that death was only one accident away.

She sat on the corner of her bed, cleaning her wound with the towel and placing the gauze on it, then wrapped it up with bandages, making sure they were layered as thinly as possible. She then returned the first aid kit into the drawer and reached for the purple and black stripped fingerless gloves, placing one on her wounded hand and hiding the bandages. She winced in pain, but still managed to pull it on.

_This should do._

She then lifted the blanket from the floor, only to hearing something metallic fall over. Puzzled, she threw the blanket on her bed and knelt down, looking under her bed for whatever had made that sound. She noticed something gleam under the moonlight and she reached for it, shocked to see that it was a large kitchen knife. The blade was stained with her blood.

''Damn it,'' she hissed.

Sam realized that she had been sleepwalking again and took a knife from her kitchen, then brought it back to her room, accidentally grabbing it by the blade and cutting herself. She was relieved that the source of her problem was herself, rather than, as she feared, a spirit who held a grudge against her and trapped her inside a nightmare, transferring the pain and injuries from her nightmare to her actual body. After all, it happened before.

Sam took a while to calm down, then checked her bed for any bloodstains, finding them only on the blanket and the floor, which she wiped clean, along with the kitchen knife. She grabbed the bloody towel and blanket, then exited her room once again, sneaking past her mother's room, and cleaned the blanket and towel under running water in the bathroom before tossing them into the basket with the dirty clothes.

She hoped that her mother wouldn't ask too many questions about it.

Returning back to her room, she put the cleaned knife into the drawer and took out a spare blanket from her closet. She shivered as she sat down on her bed, covering herself with the blanket and lying down. She felt tired, but she couldn't fall asleep, still disturbed out by what had happened.

She stared at the ceiling, wishing to be freed from this agony. She didn't want to suffer anymore, aware that, mentally and emotionally, she was in a bad place. She may have managed to keep herself together, having not suffered from a mental breakdown yet, but she felt worn out. She knew that there was no amount of therapy that would help her heal and recover from the terrors she had experienced. She had been haunted by the past, having the knowledge of dark secrets she would take to her grave.

_I'm the only one left, the only one alive who knows the truth of what had happened. Even if I wanted to leave, I would only end up being drawn into this horror story again._

Feeling drained, she glanced at the corner of her room, where the box with the VR set was. She knew that she would still have to play the game and try to solve the mysteries _Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted_ offered, even though she had her doubts.

What could Fazbear Entertainment possibly put into the game that she had no knowledge of?

**xXx**

That morning, Sam had tried to leave as early as possible, hoping that Emma wouldn't get suspicious and start questioning her. She had noticed the look of concern her mother had during breakfast, but she didn't ask her anything. Sam was relieved that Emma kept quiet, but she did feel bad about making her mother feel so worried.

Frankly, she didn't want to talk about her condition. Instead, she wanted to act, she wanted to do something that would help her improve her situation. However, that also meant dealing with the agony that she had attempted to ignore all this time. She glanced down at her injured hand, the bandages being covered by the glove.

 _Fine, I get it._ Sam took a deep breath, feeling rather frustrated. She was well aware that, instead of a spirit, it was her subconscious leaving her a message, albeit a painful one. If she wanted for the nightmares to stop, she would have to finally confront what she tried to avoid so desperately.

 _So, the current plan would be to finally play that game._ She rubbed her head, feeling an oncoming headache. _I should also check on the Nightmare Animatronics while I'm at it. I haven't been at the Sister Location at all._

Sam's lips curved into a tiny smile as she remembered an accident from about a month or two ago. It had been about a week since the fire at the warehouse and she had been trying to figure out how to move on while also dealing with the frustrating sense of abandonment. Rest assured, she was in no mood for any funny business. Unfortunately for her, it seemed as if someone had decided that they could add another problem to the pile.

_He still meant it well, though…_

That morning, Sam had been awakened by a shrill scream coming from downstairs. Startled and dazed, she ran downstairs, ready to fight off whoever had freaked out her mother. To her shock, the intruder was actually an animatronic bear, Nightmare Freddy, to be precise, who was standing on the front porch and shielding himself from Emma's assault, who appeared to have acquired her ex-husband's baseball bat, which Sam had last seen in the attic.

 _This is not what I had expected._ Sam could only stare in disbelief as Emma screamed at Nightmare Freddy about invading their home and threatening to turn him into scrap metal. While she did feel bad for Nightmare Freddy, she had to admit that it was quite amusing to see the intimidating animatronic being terrorized by her mother. It then hit her. _I totally forgot that I haven't told Mum about the Nightmare Animatronics yet._

She sighed tiredly, approaching the two.

_''What's going on?''_

Sam already knew that the question was redundant, but she saw no harm in asking. Emma and Nightmare Freddy gave her a surprised, if questioning look, as if expecting her to explain everything.

 _''That's what I'd like to know as well,''_ Emma said, pointing the baseball bat at Nightmare Freddy to keep him at a distance. The animatronic bear held his clawed hands up at chest height, indicating that he wasn't here to cause any harm. Sam stepped between the two, moving the baseball bat out of her way and turned towards Nightmare Freddy.

_''Why are you here?''_

_''I have been tasked to keep an eye on you,''_ Nightmare Freddy replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Sam rose an eyebrow, but before she could ask anything, Emma interrupted.

_''By whom?''_

_''William Afton, our creator. Consider it his last request,''_ Nightmare Freddy explained. Sam suddenly felt the anxiety rising within her, clenching her fist, something that Nightmare Freddy had noticed, as he quickly added, _''Of course, you are now our new owner and we'll follow your every order.''_

 _''Right…''_ Sam muttered, falling silent for a moment. She had almost forgotten about the legacy William had left behind for her. _''I want you and the rest to stay at the Sister Location unless told otherwise.''_

 _''Understood.''_ Nightmare Freddy nodded. Sam stepped away and pointed inside the house.

 _''However, you'll be going back at night, when there's less people around,''_ she added, trying to avoid eye-contact with Emma. Nightmare Freddy simply nodded again and entered the hallway, with Sam gesturing at the stairs. She observed the Nightmare Animatronic as he made his way upstairs, then turned to her mother, who looked quite annoyed.

 _''What did you get yourself into this time?''_ Emma asked her, her arms crossed.

 _''Nothing,''_ Sam replied in a dry tone, going upstairs. _''It's just something I forgot to take care of.''_

If she had to be honest with herself, at that point, she just wanted to go back to bed and forget everything that had happened.

 _Unfortunately, that wish cannot be granted, unless I want a brain injury that would give me permanent memory loss._ Sam massaged her temple, trying to stave off the headache that was slowly growing stronger. Admittedly, she didn't plan to do anything with the Nightmare Animatronics, but there were several times she was tempted to send them after her bullies. She smiled at the thought of seeing Tessa or anyone else who'd bother her freak out at the sight of a nightmarish robot going after them.

However, she never went through with that idea, as she didn't want the Nightmare Animatronics to roam around the town unsupervised. That, and she figured that scaring her bullies to death, while deserved, wasn't something she would do. She gave Tessa a piece of her mind the last time she visited and sending the Nightmare Animatronics would just be unnecessarily cruel.

 _Not that she cared whether she was cruel to me or not,_ Sam thought bitterly. _On the other hand, I am past that. I have other things to worry about now._ She sighed. _It doesn't make me feel less trapped in this mess, though._

**xXx**

'' _'Top 10 Gruesome Medieval Torture Devices'_ …'' She stared at the screen as she clicked on the link, noticing another list below it. '' _'10 Gruesome Torture Devices Used In Modern Times'_ …''

She furrowed an eyebrow at the images presented. There was nothing gruesome shown, but the descriptions were quite disturbing. She scrolled down, noting how none of the results were what she had been searching for. Frustrated, she reached for a cupcake on the nearby plate and took a bite out of it, then clicked on another tab she had opened earlier.

'' _'How far can a human being be cut in half before losing consciousness?'_ ,'' she mouthed, taking another bite out of the homemade cupcake. Streaks of hair fell over her face and she lifted her hand to move it away, trailing with her fingers across her head and hitting the hair clips that kept her rainbow-coloured hair extensions in place. Frankly, it had been between that and dying her hair in bright colours, but she decided against the latter, opting for something temporary and easily removable. Her co-worker did like the change, though.

_''I thought your hair looked nice today, the rainbow streaks brightened up the office – and the office is always in desperate need of some brightening!''_

He wasn't technically wrong, as the place really needed some kind of change. If necessary, she would've brought some of her own decorations, even set off a glitter bomb just to give the office some spark and colour. At least her workplace desk had been decorated with glittery notebooks, pictures of cute puppies and kittens, and one of those fake plastic flowers on spring-like stems and googly eyes. She would also eagerly share her recipes for cupcakes that would be covered in so much sugar and cream, that they would turn into a complete nightmare for those who had a sweet tooth, let alone those who didn't want to die from a sugar overdose.

In short, she loved everything that was cute, adorable and sweet. So, why was she searching for something morbid like torture devices?

For that, she did have an answer, but at the same time, she had trouble finding an actual explanation. It just happened. Somehow, she was compelled to search for that stuff, but at the same time, it was her own decision. It felt as if a voice in her head was telling her what to do, but at the same time, she had control over her own actions.

Not to mention, there were also those strange blackouts, where she would temporarily lose track of what she had been doing, only to find out that her search history consisted of stuff she had never heard of.

She briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose to calm herself down. After waiting for a few seconds, she opened them again and glanced down at the cupcake, planning to take another bite. To her horror, blood was spilling out of the pastry. She screamed and threw it across the room, the remains of the cupcake smashing on the floor.

Her heart was racing as she tried to gather her thoughts, suddenly realizing that she was an idiot. What she had seen wasn't blood, but the strawberry jam she used as a filling for the cupcakes. She looked back at the monitor, staring at the screen and feeling stunned to see something else typed in the search engine, something she didn't remember typing.

_Help me Help me Help me HeLp Me HeLp Me HELP ME HELPMEHELPMEHELPME_

When did she write that?

**xXx**

Mercifully, the school day had passed faster than expected and, during classes, Sam had managed to recover from her experience and do some proper planning. She wanted to go to _Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental_ right away after classes have ended, only for Matt to accompany her on her way there. He knew where she lived and the path she took was obviously going in a different direction, yet he didn't ask anything about the change, opting to simply follow her.

''Something happened,'' Matt told Sam, giving her a knowing look. Sam snorted, but she wasn't really surprised that Matt had figured out that something was wrong.

''I just injured my hand during another sleepwalking accident,'' Sam explained, showing him the bandages under the glove. ''It's nothing serious, though.''

''This is not what I meant, but I'm glad that you didn't get seriously injured,'' Matt replied, with Sam rising an eyebrow. ''I know that there's something dark constantly accompanying you, waiting for you to falter, and that sleepwalking accident is probably part of it.''

''Really?'' Sam rose an eyebrow.

''I might be wrong, though,'' Matt added, shrugging. ''However, you should remain careful.''

''I know,'' Sam muttered, falling silent for a moment. She then looked up at him, giving him a determined look. ''You know, I had figured that I should finally deal with this issue and put this nightmare to an end.''

''I see,'' Matt said, tilting his head. He and Sam stopped at the corner of a street. ''Do you need any support?''

''No, I'll be fine on my own,'' Sam replied. Matt just nodded in acknowledgement.

''I wish you luck with it,'' he replied, walking away. Sam idled for a while, curious to see whether Matt would turn around and follow her, simply to make sure that she'd be fine. Once she realized that he wouldn't, she kept walking towards the building that used to be _Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental_.

She had to admit that it was quite nice having Matt around. She could understand that it was a little weird that he immediately sensed that something was off and telling her all that ominous stuff, but she was used to weird stuff. She wasn't alarmed by Matt's behavior and she was glad that he didn't ask too many questions, leaving her to do her own thing, while at the same time making sure that she was fine.

Eventually, she had arrived at the old rental building, going inside. She looked around, noticing that, so far, nothing looked different from how she had remembered it. She tried the lights, flicking them off and on, making sure that the power is still on.

''Let's see…'' Sam muttered, crossing her arms on her back and entering the elevator. She wasn't really sure what exactly she wanted to do, but figured that she would just check on the animatronics and make sure everything was in order.

However, as the elevator closed, she had a strange, sinking feeling in her stomach. She couldn't really explain the sensation, but she was fairly certain that something was amiss, despite the fact that, when she entered the building, nothing was out of the ordinary. She could feel chills flowing down her spine, the feeling growing stronger the further she went down.

Once she arrived in the underground facility, she was fully alert. She exited the elevator, deciding to take a look at the Funtime Auditorium first and hoping that the feeling of dread was just a false alarm. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

What awaited her was a room full of scattered animatronic parts, either torn apart or hacked into pieces. All of the doors were wide open and the boxes that were stored in the room were flipped over. It was a horrible scene and it took Sam a moment to register that the Nightmare Animatronics were gone.

''Wh-What happened here?!''

She looked around in shock at the scattered animatronic parts, slowly recognizing the remains of Nightmare Freddy and the Freddles, Nightmare Bonnie, Nightmare Chica, Nightmare Foxy and Nightmare Fredbear. They were all completely destroyed.

_Is that my punishment for not checking on this place regularly?_

She slowly walked around, trying to process what might've happened. Someone had entered the building and dismantled the animatronics; perhaps, they have been attacked by the Nightmare Animatronics, but nevertheless, they came here with the intent to dismantle them, as Sam had noticed that some parts were missing. Not only that, but it seemed that, whoever did it, they wanted to make sure that the Nightmare Animatronics couldn't be rebuilt, as the endoskeletons were snapped in half.

 _Well, I'd say they were rather hacked or otherwise cut with some sort of sharp tool, but the results are the same._ Sam crouched down, examining the remains of Nightmare Bonnie's endoskeleton. His head was a few feet away, while one of his arms was on the other side of the room. She had no idea where the legs or the other arm were. As she brushed with her fingers across the fur, she had noticed that it was quite dusty. _This had to have happened days or weeks ago for the dust to settle._

She placed the head down, looking around again. Even though there was no way for her to know that this would happen, she still felt guilty about letting the Nightmare Animatronics get massacred. After all, she was the one who was supposed to look after them and now they were gone, with no way for her to be able to repair them.

This was the legacy William left for her and she knew that she could've done with it as she pleased, her ultimate decision being to leave the Nightmare Animatronics in the underground, unless she needed their assistance. She wasn't sure whether she would ever let them out of the facility, wanting to keep the past buried, but even then, she felt that she wouldn't have let them suffer from such a horrifying fate. This was not what she wanted to happen.

After contemplating for a moment in silence, Sam suddenly got up and walked over to the hidden area, not surprised that the door that led to the hallways and the bedroom was also open. She took a look at it, noting that, save for Nightmare Chica's cupcake, which had been snapped in half, nothing was out of the ordinary. She then left, checking the other areas of the building.

_Since when have I become so careless and ignorant?!_

The exhaustion and frustration she had felt during the past days was replaced by the familiar feeling of determination and the desire to uncover this mystery. This was what she was used to do, solve cases that she had a personal connection to, cases that she knew were connected to Freddy's. She knew that she had to find out who had destroyed the Nightmare Animatronics, who were the only remains of the past tragedy, left in-tact for over 30 years. The Classic Animatronics had been dismantled by William, the Toy Animatronics were scrapped, Circus Baby and the Funtimes became Ennard and were burned to ashes thanks to Henry, meaning that no animatronic used by Fazbear Entertainment before the fire that ultimately sealed the fate of everyone involved in the tragedy was left.

 _They're all gone now._ Sam's eyes narrowed as she picked up a box and started to throw the scattered animatronic parts into it. _I guess that one would hope for them to all perish, so nothing was left behind. It would be justified, but still, who would do this? Who would have the knowledge of the existence of this location and the Nightmare Animatronics still being in function?_

She knew that Fazbear Entertainment was aware that _Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental_ was still here, but she sincerely doubted that they would bother to check on it. When it came to old locations, their _modus operandi_ was to put everything under lock and key and forget about it. In addition, they also had a brand new location to focus on, so why would they care to check on this place.

_If Fazbear Entertainment isn't behind this, then who is?_

Sam bit her lip as she continued to clean the room, examining each animatronic part and trying to remember what the intruder may have attempted to take and why, but she had no clear answer. Everything was a complete mess, leaving her with more questions than answers.

 _Nevertheless, someone knows. Someone might be in on the secret._ Sam frowned. _But, who would that be? I doubt it's anyone I know. Besides, what kind of motive would they have? All they did was destroy the Nightmare Animatronics and take a few parts, nothing else._

She felt her hands shaking. Even though she knew anyone had access to this place, it felt like someone intruded on something private. She had been working here, learning how to repair the animatronics, the very same animatronics that had been torn apart. It felt like a personal attack.

_Challenge accepted, then._

Sam had checked the entire facility, making sure that she had gathered every missing part and realizing that one animatronic was missing – Plushtrap was gone. She couldn't find the toy animatronic anywhere, let alone any pieces of him. In the end, she assumed that he had been taken by the intruder.

She took a sharp breath, taking one final look at the room, frowning.

''Whoever did this, I will find them.''

**xXx**

Sam was in a visibly bad mood at work. She was still rattled by what had happened at _Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental_ , but the event also had snapped her out of her melancholy. She had now a solid reason to involve herself with whatever was going on at Freddy's, even though she wasn't sure what exactly she was searching for.

Speaking of work, Sam had been talking with her manager, Anthelm, about her work hours during the school year. Anthelm had planned to hire another technician who would work full time, different than Sam, who was only working part time, but no one wanted the job. Sam had figured that they were intimidated by the animatronics, who were quite civil towards Sam.

''Is there something I should know?'' Sam, who had been tasked with filling the prize corner with plush toys and other prizes, asked the Puppet. ''No one is willing to work with you guys; I'm the only animatronic technician here.'' Puppet turned towards her, tilting her head. ''So, what's your deal?''

''He never left…'' Puppet told her, with Sam giving her a questioning look. ''You know that…''

''Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about,'' Sam replied. For some reason, the sounds around her grew fainter the more she focused on Puppet. She noticed her pin-prick eyes glowing as she rose from the box, towering over Sam.

''Don't hold it against us, we are not monsters,'' Puppet added. ''But, we are under the influence of a monster.''

''W-Wait, what do you mean?'' Sam asked, then looked around frantically as her surroundings grew darker. She realized that the entire restaurant had vanished, leaving her trapped inside a void. She heard a screeching noise, causing her to close her eyes and cover her ears.

She suddenly felt cold, almost freezing, forcing her to take a look at her surroundings.

''Huh?''

Sam suddenly opened her eyes, realizing that she wasn't at the restaurant. Instead, it was nighttime and she was in her PJs, standing on the porch. As she looked down at her injured hand, she noticed that she was holding the kitchen knife, her hand wrapped around the handle instead of the blade. As the shock passed and the realization hit her, she frowned.

_Damn it._


End file.
